William Garner

Primitive Methodist Magazine

Englesea Brook Museum ENBM 1990.21.47

1802-1881

By Geoff Dickinson

Early Years

William was born on 8 April 1802 at Kegworth, the sixth son of John Garner and Elizabeth Chaplain. In 1818, William was working as a ‘stockinger’ and living at home looking after his widowed mother and remaining family. On 17 June 1818 he was attracted to attend a Camp Meeting at Stanton, where John Wedgwood was the prime attraction. Imagine William’s surprise when he sees his older brother John, then a newly appointed local preacher, come forward to preach – he had not been aware that John had been converted. William was converted as a result of that meeting. He started to preach some 6 months after his conversion.

Ministry

William became a traveling preacher in 1823. He wrote in his diary on 8 Jan 1844, that having travelled for 21 years to that point he had walked 44,936 miles and preached 6278 sermons.

William followed his brother John as Secretary to the General Mission Committee in 1846. He was President of Conference in 1859 and 1861.

Literature

William was a prolific writer. He authored the following.

The Good Old Way, 1851

Candidate for Heaven: Invited to Christian Fellowship, 1852

Life of John Garner, 1856

Dialogues between John Gibson, BD vicar of Brent with Furneux Pelham, Herts and Martin Bull, Primitive Methodist, against joining the primitive Methodists, 1859

Devotional Christianity and its admirable adaptation to promote the salvation of mankind, 1861

The Life of the Rev. and Venerable William Clowes: One of the patriarchs of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, 1868

Family

William married Elizabeth Pattison on 4 June 1828 at St John’s Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. Elizabeth was born on 21 June 1803 and died on 8 July 1877.